Antigua Hotels

The old parlor game of guessing what lies behind Antigua's walls—buildings directly front sidewalks with nary a hint of what lies inside the gate—could apply to the city's hotels, too. (One of our favorite Antigua lodgings has a wooden gate in serious need of a coat of paint, but unimagined elegance lurks behind.) Inside all, you'll find rooms arranged around a central garden in the old colonial style. Most newly constructed hotels are also arranged thus. As with restaurants, more expensive hotels line the streets east of Parque Central. Few lodgings offer air-conditioning, but you'll rarely miss it here. Most hotels raise rates Friday and Saturday night, since Antigua is a popular weekend tourist destination for Guatemalans. Expect lodging rates to go up by 50% during Christmas and Holy Week. Most places also impose minimum lengths of stay during those weeks.